


Like A Shoujo Manga

by RinChanSanMatsuoka



Series: Makorin Week 2015 [3]
Category: Free!
Genre: Crushes, Fluff, High ☆ Speed!, Kid Fic, Love Confessions, M/M, MakoRin Week, MakoRin Week 2015
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-17
Updated: 2015-12-17
Packaged: 2018-05-07 05:36:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5445185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RinChanSanMatsuoka/pseuds/RinChanSanMatsuoka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Makorin week day 3<br/>Prompts: Confession</p><p>Liking someone is complicated when you're just twelve.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like A Shoujo Manga

**Author's Note:**

> This will tie in with day 4's fic!
> 
> EDIT: NOW WITH [FANART](http://pinkypelos.tumblr.com/post/135495972335/makorin-week-day-3-coincidenceconfession) BY MY GOOD FRIEND!! IT'S SO CUTE!!

Rin wasn’t sure when the funny feelings had started.  If he had to trace it all the way back, it would probably be when he had first talked to Makoto at that tournament.  He was still at Sano back then and Haru’s swimming had completely captivated him but the boy beside Haru hadn’t gone unnoticed.  Makoto had even recognized him, making Rin’s ego swell.

When Rin had transferred to Iwatobi and ended up in Haru and Makoto’s class, Makoto had made him feel welcome.  He’d even reassured Rin that no one would bully him here at Iwatobi.  Despite Haru ignoring him and brushing off his begging to join his relay team, Makoto continued to make him feel at ease.

The feelings had only intensified the day Makoto offered to take him home on the back of his bike.  It was like something out of Gou’s shoujo manga that he sneakily read.  Rin had laughed it off, telling Makoto and Haru that he was running home.  It wasn’t a lie, because he did need to train, but he had another reason for rejecting Makoto’s offer.  He was scared that if he went with Makoto, the funny feelings would only get worse.

It had proven to be useless, because once they actually formed a relay team, he was around Makoto all the time.  In class, at lunch, after school during swim practice; it felt like Makoto was everywhere and it just made Rin’s stomach flipflop.  He tried to ignore it, focusing only on relay practice, but he kept finding his gaze drawn to Makoto whenever he was resting.

“You keep staring at him.  Stop being a weirdo.”  Haru’s flat voice pulled Rin out of this thoughts and obvious staring at Makoto.

Rin felt his face growing bright red and he glared at Haru.  “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”  Crossing his arms, he turned away from Haru, sulking.

“You are.  And you keep acting weird.  Makoto thinks you hate him ‘cause you won’t talk to him.”  At that, Haru’s voice hardened slightly.  “He’s too nice to say anything but stop it.  I don’t want you hurting Makoto.”  His expression was a mix between a pout and a frown, dark eyebrows knitted together as he stared a hole in Rin’s back.

“Wha- Hurt?  I wouldn’t hurt him!  He’s my friend!”  Now it was Rin’s turn to pout.  How could Haru say that?

“Then talk to him.  Or I’ll quit your precious relay team.”  With a small ‘hmph’, Haru pulled his swim cap and goggles on, marching over to dive into the pool before Rin could respond.

Speechless, Rin just watched him go before glancing over at Makoto once again.  Had he really been avoiding Makoto that much?

* * *

To Rin, practice seemed to end much too quickly.  Not only that, but he had spotted Haru whispering to Nagisa before the two of them swiftly left the locker room.  Nagisa had yelled something about Haru agreeing to race him as they ran off but Rin was more preoccupied with the fact that he was now alone with Makoto.

Fidgeting with the straps of his swim bag, he glanced over at Makoto.  “We should go,” he muttered, shuffling out of the locker room.  He didn’t glance behind him, still unsure as to what he was supposed to do.  Hurting Makoto hadn’t been his intention when he’d started distancing himself from the taller boy but it looked like he’d messed things up.  Why did everything have to be so complicated?

Rin waited outside the front doors of the swim club, watching Makoto exit the building out of the corner of his eyes.  The other boy seemed surprised to see that Rin was still there and gave him a small, nervous smile.

“Ah, it looks like those two left us behind.”  Makoto’s voice was soft as always as he started walking.

Not knowing what else to do, Rin followed, walking slowly instead of jogging like he normally did.  At this rate, it would be dark by the time he got home and his grandmother would worry, but he couldn’t just leave Makoto behind. 

So, he chewed on his lower lip in thought as he stared at the back of Makoto’s head.  His hair was starting to get a bit long in the back and Rin had the sudden urge to reach out and play with the strands.  He found himself lifting his arm, only to pull it back quickly when Makoto turned around to look at him.

“Um, Rin…  Did I do something wrong?”

The question caught Rin off guard and he stared at Makoto, watching as the other boy fidgeted.  “What?”

“Well, you h-haven’t been really t-talking to me much,” Makoto stuttered as he rushed to get out what he wanted to say.  “So I thought I m-must have done something to upset you!”

Rin’s eyes widened as he realized that Makoto was blaming himself.  “You... You didn’t do anything wrong!”

Makoto looked at him, a small pout on his lips.  “Then why haven’t you been talking to me?”

Frustration was starting to well up in Rin’s chest.  How was he supposed to tell Makoto what was wrong when he wasn’t even sure?  Running a hand through his hair, he shrugged a tiny bit.  His non-answer only brought a look of hurt to Makoto’s face and he panicked.  In his attempt to rid Makoto of that sad look, he blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

“It’s because I think I like you!”

His sudden, loud confession caused his face to burn a brilliant red and he refused to look at Makoto.  The thump of his heart was almost painful against his ribcage and he rubbed at his chest, trying to ease his nerves.  Rin had finally admitted his strange feelings to Makoto, though not in the way he had ever imagined.  This was hardly romantic and they weren’t even near a cherry tree!

“What…?  Rin?”  Makoto’s voice was soft as he approached Rin until he was standing right in front of him.  “I like you too, silly.”

“Makoto, I… it’s not like friends!”  Obviously Makoto hadn’t understood what Rin meant.  “You know, the way boys and girls are supposed to like each other!”  He saw Makoto stiffen in front of him and he looked up, feeling his chest tighten at the shocked look on Makoto’s face.

“E-Eh…?  You… You do?”

“I… I do and I know it’s weird!  I’m sorry I ignored you but I didn’t know what else to do!  I’m sorry, Makoto.”  Rin turned away, unable to look at Makoto when he just knew the other boy would reject him and refuse to be his friend anymore.

After a few moments of silence, Makoto let out a soft laugh.  “Rin, it’s okay.  I, um, I like you that way too.”  He reached out, taking one of Rin’s hands in his own. “I was scared you’d hate me.”

Shocked by Makoto’s confession, Rin gasped and he stared at the other boy.  “I could never hate you,” he mumbled, staring at their hands.  “I’m not dreaming, am I?”

Makoto laughed again and shook his head.  “You’re not dreaming, Rin.”  He smiled and wrapped around Rin when the smaller boy threw himself into his arms.

* * *

“I promise I’ll write to you, Makoto.  You’ll reply, right?”  Rin fidgeted, unsure of why he was so nervous.  He held out the paper with his address in Australia, waiting for Makoto to take it from him.

Makoto gave him a soft smile, taking the paper and folding it gently.  “Of course I’ll reply, Rin.  I wanna know everything about what a great swimmer you’ll become, okay?”

Rin blushed a bit from Makoto’s faith in him.  “I will!  I’ll tell you everything!”  With a smile, he wrapped his arms around Makoto in a tight hug.  “I’ll come back during breaks and I won’t be there forever.”

“I know, Rin.  I’ll miss you.”  Makoto leaned forward, pressing a small kiss to Rin’s cheek before pulling back with a bright blush.

Rin’s blush only grew brighter at that and he smiled giddily.  “I’ll miss you too.”


End file.
